Pages

Monday, April 29, 2013

Hey everyone, today I have a great post to share with you. A glimpse into author Sydney Logan's new book Mountain Charm. This book is being released in July and I can't wait. Enjoy!

Mountain
Charm

by
Sydney Logan

Prologue

Angelina
Clark gazed down at the shining candle. Its yellow flame flickered and
glistened against the darkness of the living room. She had eagerly anticipated
this day—her thirteenth birthday—since she’d been a little girl.

Friday, April 26, 2013

Today I have another great guest post. Author Stephen Zimmer is here to talk about Word Counts and if they really mater. So let's get to it. Enjoy!!!

The Roadblock of Word Counts

By Stephen Zimmer

Being
the writer of an epic fantasy series, and an epic-scale urban fantasy series,
generating a sizeable word count for a novel is something I am fairly familiar
with.Yet I never lose sight of the fact
that writing a novel echoes the process of building a house or other
significant structure, in that it is put together piece by piece, day by day,
over the course of time involving many variances in productivity and elements. Some of those elements are large, and others
are small, but all are components of the end result, and that is what I want to
discuss here in regards to writing.

Synopsis:With the death of one of
the companions, Grace must answer for the secrets she’s kept. The path
before them is ever lengthening in their quest for Amber. There are
changes they all must face, and when Joya enters her trials of sorcery,
danger lurks around every corner. The power within Angelica and Jovian
is strengthening and with it comes confusion. What are they? It is
painfully obvious nothing like them has ever existed before. Why is it
at times they seem more one person than two separate people? With all
the mystery surrounding their latent power, Angelica stumbles upon a
passage in a book of sorcery indicating she is evil. Could she be the
Mask prophecy speaks of? Is she destined to turn against her own flesh?
To make matters worse, the Well of Wyrding (a giant well that controls
all sorcery) has been breached and wyrd itself is spiraling into chaos.

Events build to a
dramatic conclusion in this epic fantasy of family ties. On a hunting
trip Jovian is attacked by a demon destroyed ages ago when the last of
the fallen angels were driven into hiding. Angelica is plagued by
haunting visions depicting the fall of her family. Joya begins hearing
voices and communicates with a geometry book that calls forth the
destructive force of Wyrd within her. Amber is stolen in the night, and a
being who calls himself “Grigori” seeks the destruction of the Neferis
name.

Even before a rescue attempt can be made for Amber, the
family comes under attack by forces they are not ready to face. The
adventure becomes one haunted by mystical creatures and events as two
forces try to help them, and hinder them. With every step more and more
questions arise.There are seemingly no answers until they are
confronted with an ancient enemy of their family. Will this enemy grant
the answers they seek, or will she fray the tenuous threads binding them
to their old lives?

Synopsis:Being unstoppable is
about believing and achieving. It’s about having faith in yourself, your
talents and your purpose and, most of all, in God’s great love and His
divine plan for your life.

Millions around the world recognize
the smiling face and inspirational message of Nick Vujicic. Despite
being born without arms or legs, Nick’s challenges have not kept him
from enjoying great adventures, a fulfilling and meaningful career, and
loving relationships. Nick has overcome trials and hardships by
focusing on the promises that he was created for a unique and specific
purpose, that his life has value and is a gift to others, and that no
matter the despair and hard times in life, God is always present. Nick
credits his success in life to the power that is unleashed when faith takes action.

But how does that happen? In Unstoppable Nick addresses adversity and difficult circumstances that many people face today, including:

Through
stories from his own life and the experiences of many others, Nick
explains how anyone wanting a “ridiculously good life” can respond to
these issues and more to become unstoppable. What’s standing in your
way? Are you ready to become unstoppable?

Join Beth in an in-depth
and very personal examination of this great story of threat and
deliverance. She peels back the layers of history and shows how very
contemporary and applicable the story of Esther is to our lives. If
you've ever felt inadequate, threatened, or pushed into situations that
seemed overpowering, this is the study for you. Just as it was tough
being a woman in Esther's day, it's tough today. This portion of God's
Word contains treasures to aid us in our hurried, harried, and pressured
lives.Leader kit contains: 6 DVDs (10 teaching segments and bonus
content),1 Member Book, and 1 Leader Guide.

Synopsis:A Deadly Accident The
Christian Kids Theater group is devastated by a tragedy greater than any
of them could've imagined. Now their director, Katy Hart, must find a
way to walk the kids through their grief and give them a reason to
believe again. But will hatred and revenge have the final word? An
Aching Emptiness Dayne Matthews is at the top of the Hollywood list,
working on what could be his best movie yet. Still, he is empty and
unfocused, aching for real love and the family he?ll never know. Then a
friend tells him about a teaching center and a way to become like God.
Is this the answer Dayne's been searching for? A Shocking Discovery John
Baxter reconnects with an old friend and shares a buried secret, one
that he and his wife shared all their married lives. Now - in his wife's
honor - he decides to continue a very special search. But in the
process he makes a critical mistake. What will happen when one of his
daughters stumbles onto a letter she was never supposed to see? In this
season for the Baxters, grace and redemption will play a greater role
than ever before.

Today I have an awesome Guest post to share with you from the author of The Brotherhood of Dwarves series, D.A. Adams. I want to thank him for sharing this post with us and I must say I love this topic.

As a child, I remember reading The
Chronicles of Narnia, The Lord of the Rings, The Shannara Series, and
many other fantasy-based works that told compelling stories without
relying on gratuitous sex and foul language to keep the reader’s
attention. However, over the years, there’s been a trend in
entertainment of chasing shock value for the sake of drawing in an
audience. Books, TV shows, and movies continue to push the envelope,
ramping up sexual content, profanity, and graphic violence. When I
began pondering the concept of The Brotherhood of Dwarves, the “hole in
the market” to me was a lack of sophisticated, compelling, heroic tales
that could be read by 10 years olds yet still appeal to adults. The
works I saw geared to young adults seemed condescending and cartoonish,
dumbed-down to the point of absurdity. Everything else seemed to be
chasing the shock factor.

So before I ever wrote the first word, I
committed myself to writing the complete series without one utterance
of profanity and without more than a subtle hint of sexuality.

Synopsis:Daniella Rossi,
prophesied Convergence and child of all three races of creation, now
faces her destiny with a full gambit of knowledge and abilities at her
disposal, but will they be enough?

Two years in hiding…Two years
of training and preparing. Two years of falling in love and finding
herself surrounded by a family she never dreamed she would have. They’ve
all been a blessing, keeping her tranquil in their Caribbean island
hideaway, but the darkness of the Fallen ones is closing in and the time
for hiding has come to an end.

Separated from her Guardian
husband Nate, and alone in New York City with an infant to protect, Dani
must find the strength within her to survive and help those that need
her. New acquaintances become allies, helping her hide until she is
strong enough to search for her loved ones. Can she reunite with her
family and protect this innocent little baby who deserves a safe and
happy future, or will they be thwarted by evil forces?

Dani has
worked hard to prepare for confronting the ultimate evil. Will she
emerge victorious, or will she fail in her final quest to follow the
Master’s will? Join Dani in the final chapter of this epic tale as she
struggles to resist the evil that seeks to claim her, body and soul.

Daniella
Rossi has had a tough year. She’d always felt she was different from
those around her, and within a matter of months, she discovered her life
and that all she believed was true was nothing more than a farce. As a
child of three different races of creation, Dani truly fits in with
none.

As she waits out the winter in hiding with her two most
trusted friends, her Guardians Nate and Ana, Dani struggles with the
evolution of her romantic relationship with Nate, while being haunted
most nights by dreams of a little boy begging for help. She doesn’t know
where he is or what is wrong, but she has an overwhelming need to help
him.

Forced to move on with the advent of spring, they search for
answers while Dani completes her induction into the world of the
unseen. She learns many things about love, life, and herself, as well as
the true depth and nature of the strength within her along the way.

Sunday, April 21, 2013

Today I am really excited to showcase author Jan Moran on the blog for her blog tour, Scent of Triumph. I have a great Q and A for all of you. So Enjoy!!!

Why did you want to become a writer?

As a child, I was an avid reader. Writers were my rock stars! Books were my passport to exotic locales and fascinating characters.

Who are your favorite authors and books?

A Woman of Substance by Barbara Taylor Bradford was an early inspiration. Also love Shanghai Girls by Lisa See and The Red Queen by Philippa Gregory. And who can forget Leo Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina, or War and Peace—the best Russian soap opera ever!

Synopsis:Scent of Triumph is the
story of Danielle Bretancourt, a talented young French perfumer with a
flair for fashion and a natural olfactory gift. In the language of
perfumery, she is a Nose, with the rare ability to recognize thousands
of essences by memory. The story opens on the day England declares war
on Germany, and Danielle and her family are caught in the midst of a
raging disaster sweeping across Europe.

Her life takes a tragic
turn when her husband and son are lost behind enemy lines. She spies for
the French resistance, determined to find them, but is forced to flee
Europe with fragments of her family. Destitute, she mines her talents to
create a magnificent perfume that captures the hearts of Hollywood's
top stars, then gambles again to win wealth and success as a couturier.
Her intelligence and flair attracts the adoration of Jonathan
Newell-Grey, of England's top shipping conglomerate, and Cameron Murphy,
Hollywood's most charismatic star.

Danielle charts her course
through devastating wartime losses and revenge; lustful lovers and
loveless marriages; and valiant struggles to reunite her family. Set
between privileged lifestyles and gritty realities, here is one woman's
story of courage, spirit, and resilience.

Wednesday, April 10, 2013

Synopsis:Karen Kingsbury brings
listeners a new series that picks up where the Redemption series left
off. The Firstborn series focuses on the surprise new member of the
Baxter family: Dayne Matthews. As Dayne Matthews returns to Hollywood
after his shocking discovery in Karen Kingsbury's bestselling novel
Reunion, he faces the dangerous world of fame and paparazzi. Meanwhile,
Katy Hart receives the offer of a lifetime ? starring opposite Dayne in a
Hollywood film. Dayne and Katy's choices will change their hearts and
lives forever.

Saturday, April 6, 2013

So today I have a great guest post for you by the author of IXEOS, Jennings Wright. I hope you enjoy.

The Nuts and Bolts of Writing a Novel

Since November 2011, I have participated in – and won – five
NaNoWriMo events. The sixth will be in April, when I do the year’s first Camp
NaNo. Our area has a lot of people who participate in NaNoWriMo (National Novel
Writing Month), and a couple of the writing groups I’m in have tried to do it
as a group. They are always wanting to pick my brain as to how to “win” the
event. I think the advice I give holds true even if you aren’t doing a contest
and are just trying to figure out how to write a complete novel.